Hinged cover construction for a water closet

ABSTRACT

A hinged cover construction for a water closet in which stationary brackets mounted adjacent the bowl are provided with tracks extending between the tank and the bowl, hinge supports move on the tracks toward and away from the tank between a normal position adjacent the tank and an advanced position spaced from the tank and can be held in both positions. A lower cover and an upper cover are pivotally mounted on the hinge supports. A resilient cushion is mounted on the lower cover. The covers swing between a lowered position in which the bottom cover is supported on an upper edge of the bowl and the upper cover rests on the cushion and a raised position in which the covers lean against the tank in stable position when the hinge supporting brackets are in advanced position. Slots in the tracks permit removal of the hinge supports and covers from the bowl. Lock slide members are provided on the hinge supporting brackets for selective engagement with lock slots on the tracks to hold the hinge support in either the normal position or the advanced position.

United States Patent Blount [451 June 20, 1972 [54] HINGED COVERCONSTRUCTION FOR A WATER CLOSET [72] Inventor: George W. Blount,Middletown, Ohio [73] Assignee: New Century Products, Inc., Middletown,

Ohio

[22] Filed: Jan. 22, 1971 211 App]. No.: 108,844

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No.887,129, D ec 2 2,

1969, abandoned.

[52] U.S.Cl ..4/236, 4/235 [51] lnt.Cl. [58] Field of Search ..4/235,236, 240

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 47,509 5/1865 Bagley ..4/236X 548,907 10/1895 Cahill ..4/236 452,685 5/1891 Webster ..4/2361,701,115 2/1929 McKinney .....4/235 2,494,813 1/1950 Hughes ..4/235FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 345,381 11/1904 France ..4/240 PrimaryExaminer-Robert 1. Smith Attomey-Pearce & Schaeperklaus [57] ABSTRACT Ahinged cover construction for a water closet in which stationarybrackets mounted adjacent the bowl are provided with tracks extendingbetween the tank and the bowl, hinge supports move on the tracks towardand away from the tank between a nonnal position adjacent the tank andan advanced position spaced from the tank and can be held in bothpositions. A lower cover and an upper cover are pivotally mounted on thehinge supports. A resilient cushion is mounted on the lower cover. Thecovers swing between a lowered position in which the bottom cover issupported on an upper edge of the bowl and the upper cover rests on thecushion and a raised position in which the covers lean against the tankin stable position when the hinge supporting brackets are in advancedposition. Slots in the tracks permit removal of the hinge supports andcovers from the bowl. Lock slide members are provided on the hingesupporting brackets for selective engagement with lock slots on thetracks to hold the hinge support in either the normal position or theadvanced position.

6 Claims, 23 Drawing Figures P'A'TE'N'TEmunzo m2 3. 679.441

sum 1 or 3 INVENTOE. GEORGE W. BLOU'NT ATTORNEY6" HINGED COVERCONSTRUCTION FOR A WATER CLOSET This is a continuation-in-part of myco-pending application Ser. No. 887,129, filed Dec. 22, 1969 and now US.Pat. No. 3,613,129.

This invention relates to a cover construction for a water closet or thelike.

An object of this invention is to provide a cushioned seat for a watercloset.

A further object of this invention is to provide a hinge constructionfor covers of a water closet which permits upward swinging of the coversto a stable position free of the bowl of the water closet and whichpermits ready removal of the covers from the water closet.

Briefly, this invention provides a water closet cover construction inwhich a resilient pad or rubber-like material is mounted on a bottomcover therefor. Covers of the water closet are hinged on pivots whichcan be moved away from the tank thereof to a position at which thecovers lean against the tank in stable position. The pivots are mountedon sliding frames which can be moved to a position adjacent the tankwhen the covers are in a lowered or normal position.

The above and other objects and features of the invention will beapparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention pertainsfrom the following detailed description and the drawings in which:

FIG. I is a perspective view of a water closet provided with covers andcover supports constructed in accordance with an embodiment of thisinvention, the covers being shown in lowered position;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the water closet shown in FIG. 1 with anupper cover thereof in raised position;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the water closet shown in FIGS. 1 and 2with upper and lower covers both in raised position;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary plan view on an enlarged scale of the watercloset with both covers in lowered position, parts being broken away toreveal structural details;

FIG. 5 is a view in section taken on the line 5-5 in FIG. 4, hingebrackets and covers being in normal position;

FIG. 6 is a view in section taken on the same line as FIG. 5 but showingboth covers in raised position, the hinge brackets being in advancedposition;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary exploded view showing one of a pair of hingesupporting bracket assemblies of the water closet illustrated in FIGS.1-6 inclusive, portions of the covers being shown in dot-dash lines inassociation therewith;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of the hinge supporting bracketassembly shown in FIG. 7 in assembled relation in normal position, afragmentary portion of the water closet and of the lower cover beingshown in association therewith in dashed lines;

FIG. 8A is a fragmentary perspective view similar to FIG. 8 but showingthe hinge supports in advanced position, details of shafts and pinsthereof being omitted;

FIG. 9 is a view in section taken on the line 9-9 in FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary view in section taken on the line 10-10 in FIG.4, a hinge bracket being shown in an intermediate position in full linesand in locked positions in dotdash lines and in double-dot-dash lines;

FIG. 11 is a view in section of the hinge bracket shown in FIG. 10 takenon the line 11-11 in FIG. 7;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of one of the track members 7 and one ofthe hinge supporting brackets showing the manner of removal of thebracket from the track member;

FIG. 13 is a view in section taken on an enlarged scale on the line13-13 in FIG. 10;

FIG. 14 is a view partly in section and partly in side elevation showinga cover and supporting hinge arrangement assembly constructed inaccordance with another embodiment of this invention in normal position,fragmentary portions of associated parts being shown in associationtherewith;

FIG. 15 is a view partly in section and partly in side elevation showingthe assembly illustrated in FIG. 14 in advanced position;

FIG. 16 is a view in side elevation of a track member forming a portionof the assembly illustrated in FIGS. 14 and 15;

FIG. 17 is a top plan view of the track member shown in FIG. 16;

FIG. 18 is a view in section taken on the line 18-18 in FIG. 16;

FIG. 19 is a view in end elevation of a sliding bracket forming aportion of the hinge arrangement illustrated in FIGS. 14 and 15;

FIG. 20 is a view in section taken on the line 20-20 in FIG. 19;

FIG. 21 is another view in end elevation of the sliding bracketillustrated in FIG. 18; and

FIG. 22 is a bottom plan view of the sliding bracket illustrated inFIGS. 19 to 21.

In the following detailed description and the drawings, like referencecharacters indicate like parts.

In FIGS. l-3 inclusive is shown a water closet 20 which includes a bowl21 and a tank 22 mounted on a rearward extension 23 of the bowl in usualfashion. An upper face 24 of the extension 23 is horizontal and isprovided with upright bores 26 (FIGS. 5 and 6) of usual form in whichbolts 27 are received. Stationary rail members 28 and 29 are mounted onthe upper face 24 of the extension 23 at the bores 26. Acorn nuts 30 onthe bolts 27 hold the rail members in position. The rail members 28 and29 are identical in construction, and only the member 28 and bracketssupported thereon will be described in detail. As shown in FIG. 7, therail member 28 in cludes a body 31 having an upright opening 32 thereinwhich receives one of the bolts 27 and an extension portion 33 whichextends normally to the upright opening and carries a T- shaped track34. Slots 36 and 36' are provided in the cross bar of the track 34 at anouter end thereof. Upright stops 37 and 38 (FIG. 9) are provided at aninner end of the track 34. An upper face 41 (FIG. 7) of the cross barportion of the track 31 is coplanar with an upper face 42 of the body 31and with an upper face 43 of the upright portion 43' of the track at theslots 36 and 36'. The portion 43' forms a bridge between the body face42 and the track face 43.

A sliding hinge bracket 51 (FIGS. 10 and I3) is slideably mounted on thetrack 34. The bracket 51 includes angle shaped flange guides 52 and 53(FIG. 13) which embrace the track 34. A slot 54 is provided between theflange guides 52 and 53 in which an upright stem portion 56 (FIG. 8) ofthe track 34 is received. A transverse counterbored bore 57 (FIG. 13) inthe bracket 51 receives a short pivot pin 58 to support the pivot pin 58as shown in FIG. 7. A look slide member 59, which is of dove tail shapein section as shown in FIG. 11, is received in and reciprocates in anupright dove tail slot 61 in the bracket 51. A pin 62 mounted in thelock slide member 59 is received in an upright socket slot 63 forlimiting the movement of the lock slide member 59. The bracket 51 slidesalong the track 34 as shown in FIG. 6 between a normal locked positionshown at 51' in dot dash lines in FIG. 6 in which the lower end of thelock slide member 59 is received in a lock socket 44 in the rail member28 and an advanced position shown at 51" in double-dot-dash lines atwhich the lower end of the lock slide member is received in a locksocket 46 in the rail member 28.

The bracket 51 is cut away above the slot 54 as shown at 66 in FIGS. 13and 10 so that the bracket 51 can be tilted out of the track through theslots 36 and 36' as shown in FIG. 12. When the bracket 51 is in thenormal locked position as shown in FIG. 5, ends 67 and 67' (FIG. 12) ofthe angle shaped flange guides are received in sockets 68, one of whichis shown in FIG. 5 at one end of the track 34 adjacent the slots 36 and36' to prevent inadvertent tilting out of the track.

A swinging bracket 71 (FIG. 7) is pivotally mounted on the pivot pin 58.The pivot pin 58 extends through a transverse bore 72 in the bracket 71.The pin 58 extends beyond the bracket 71 into a socket 73 (FIG. 4) in anextension 74 of an annular lower cover 75. A set screw 76 holds the pin58 in position in the socket 73. Positioning pins 77 and 78 (FIG. 7) aremounted in sockets 79 and 80, respectively, in the swinging bracket 71on opposite sides of the bore 72. The positioning pins 77 and 78 extendparallel to the axis of the bore 72 and into the extension 74 of thelower cover 75 so that the bracket 71 swings with the lower cover 75. Anend portion of an elongated pivot pin 81 is mounted in a transverse bore81' in the swinging bracket 71 which is spaced from and parallel to thebore 72. An upper cover 82 is pivotally mounted on the pivot pin 81. Asshown in FIG. 4, a second sliding bracket 82' slides along a track onthe rail member 29, and a second swinging bracket 83 is swingablymounted thereon with a second short pivot pin 84 being mounted in thesecond sliding bracket 82' and pivotally supporting the second swingingbracket 83. An opposite end portion of the pivot pin 81 is mounted inthe second swinging bracket. Other members are associated with thesecond sliding bracket and the second swinging bracket which are similarto like members already described with relation to the brackets 51 and71.

An annular resilient seat pad 86 of foam rubber or the like or othersoft cushion material is mounted on the lower cover 75. Resilient bumpermembers 87 (FIGS. 3 and mounted on the underside of the lower cover 75can rest on the top of the walls of the bowl 21 when thebottom cover isin lowered or normal position as shown in FIG. 5. The covers 75 and 82are spaced much further than in cover constructions which have no suchresilient pad. The upper cover 82 can be swung upwardly to lean againstthe tank 22 as shown in FIG. 2 when the sliding brackets 51 and 82' arein normal position and is supported in stable leaning position. However,when both the covers are to be swung upwardly and out of normalposition, the brackets 51 and 82' are moved to the FIG. 8A position atwhich both the upper cover 82 and the lower cover 75 can be swungupwardly to lean against the tank 22 as shown in FIG. 3

in stable leaning position. When it is desired to remove the assembly ofcovers 82 and 75, the sliding brackets 51 and 82 are slid to the slots36 and 36' and are tilted, as shown in FIG. 12, to-be removed from thetracks together with the covers 82 and 75.

In FIGS. 14 and are shown rail members 94 and 94 and sliding hingebrackets 96 and 96 embodying another form of the invention. The railmember 94' is similar to the rail member 94 and the sliding hingebracket 96 is similar to the sliding hinge bracket 96, and only the railmember 94 and the sliding hinge bracket 96 will be described in detail.The rail member 94 and the sliding hinge bracket 96 and associated witha water closet bowl 97, swinging hinge brackets 98 and 98, an uppercover 99 and a lower cover 101 and associated members which are similarin construction to like parts of the device described earlier.

As shown in FIGS. 16 through 18, the rail member 94 includes a body 103having an upright opening 104 therein for receiving a bolt 106 (FIGS. 14and 15) and an extension portion 107 (FIGS. 16 and 17) extendingnormally to the upright opening 104 and including a T-shaped track 108and transversely extending base flanges 109 and l 1 1 on opposite sidesof a lower portion of the track 108, grooves or slots 112 and 113 (FIG.18) being formed between the cross bar of the T-shaped track 108 and thebase flanges 109 and 111. Transverse stop slots 1 14-114' and 1 16-1 16'are formed in the upper faces of the base flanges 109 and 11 l as shownin FIGS. 16 and 17. The T-shaped track 108 extends between stop flanges117 and 117' and a slot 1 18 with the outer end of the track 108adjoining but spaced from a hook portion 1 19 of the body 103.

The sliding hinge bracket 96 (FIGS. 19-22) includes an upper bodyportion 121 through which a counterbored bore 122 (FIG. 19) is formed.The bore 122 receives a short pivot pin 123 (FIGS. 14 and 15) similar tothe short pivot pin already described. A lower portion of the slidinghinge bracket 96 carries spaced coaxial inner pin members 124 and 126(FIG. 22) and spaced coaxial outer pin members 127 and 128.

The pin members 126 and 127 can be received in the slot 1 12 and the pinmembers 124 and 128 can be received in the slot 113. The inner pinmembers 124 and 126 are received in the stop slot portionsll4 and 114respectively when the sliding hinge bracket is in a normal position asshown in FIG. 14, and the inner pins 124 and 126 are received in thestop slot portions 1 16 and 1 16 respectively when the sliding hingebracket 96 is in an advanced position as shown in FIG. 15. When thesliding hinge bracket 96 is in normal position, the outer pins 127 and128 are received under the hook portion 119. Weight of the covers 99 and101 and associated elements holds the sliding hinge bracket 96 in thesepositions until the sliding hinge bracket 96 is swung sufficiently tofree the inner pins v from the stop slots. A slot 134 (FIG. 21) betweenthe pin members 124, 126, 127, and 128 and the upper body portion 121 ofthe sliding hinge bracket 96 receives the cross bar portion of theT-shaped track 108. Sufficient space is provided in the slot 134 so thatthe sliding hinge member 96 can be tilted out of the track 108 at theslot 118 in a manner similar to that described in connection with theother form of device.

The rail members 94 and 94 (FIGS. 14 and 15) and the sliding hingebrackets 96 and 96 support the lower cover 101 for swinging about theaxis of the short pivot pin 123 and another similar short pivot pin (notshown) associated with the rail member 94' and the sliding hinge bracket96'. The swinging hinge brackets 98 and 98' swing with the lower cover101 and carry an elongated pivot pin 136 on which the upper cover 99 ispivotally mounted. The sliding hinge brackets lock in the normal andextended positions as the inner pins 124 and 126 thereof are received inthe slots 114-114' and 116- 1 16 respectively.

The hinge constructions illustrated in the drawings and described aboveare subject to structural modification without departing from the spiritand scope of the appended claims.

I-Iaving described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by letters patent is:

1. A cover construction for a water closet which includes a bowl and atankmounted adjacent the bowl, said construction comprising tracksmounted adjacent the bowl and extending between the tank and the bowl,sliding brackets mounted on the tracks and capable of being slid towardand away from the tank, pivot means supported by the sliding brackets, acover swingably mounted on the pivot means, there being a slot in eachtrack, the sliding brackets being removable from the tracks through theslots, and stop means for holding the sliding brackets in at least oneposition against longitudinal movement in both directions on the tracks.

2. A cover construction in accordance with claim 1 wherein the stopmeans for each sliding bracket includes a stop slot in the trackassociated therewith and a lug on the sliding bracket engageable withthe stop slot for holding the sliding bracket in the selected position.

3. A cover construction as in claim 2 wherein the sliding bracketincludes a pivot pin portion which is slideable along the track and thesliding bracket is swingable about the axis of the pivot pin portionbetween a locked position in which the lug is in engagement with thestop slot and a released position in which the lug is free of the stopslot.

4. A cover construction as in claim 2 in which the stop slot is belowthe lug and the weight of the cover holds the lug in the stop slot.

5. A cover construction as in claim 2 wherein the lug is slideable upand down between a locked lowered position in engagement with the stopslot and a raised released position.

6. A cover construction in accordance with claim 1 wherein the stopmeans for each sliding bracket includes a stop slot in the trackassociated therewith adjacent the tank end of said track, a lug on thesliding bracket engageable with the stop slot, the bracket removal slotin said track is adjacent but spaced from the tank end of said track,and means is provided on said track at the tank end thereof foroverlying a portion of the sliding bracket to hold the sliding bracketon the track when the lug is in engagement with the stop slot.

1. A cover construction for a water closet which includes a bowl and atank mounted adjacent the bowl, said construction comprising tracksmounted adjacent the bowl and extending between the tank and the bowl,sliding brackets mounted on the tracks and capable of being slid towardand away from the tank, pivot means supported by the sliding brackets, acover swingably mounted on the pivot means, there being a slot in eachtrack, the sliding brackets being removable from the tracks through theslots, and stop means for holding the sliding brackets in at least oneposition against longitudinal movement in both directions on the tracks.2. A cover construction in accordance with claim 1 wherein the stopmeans for each sliding bracket includes a stop slot in the trackassociated therewith and a lug on the sliding bracket engageable withthe stop slot for holding the sliding bracket in the selected position.3. A cover construction as in claim 2 wherein the sliding bracketincludes a pivot pin portion which is slideable along the track and thesliding bracket is swingable about the axis of the pivot pin portionbetween a locked position in which the lug is in engagement with thestop slot and a released position in which the lug is free of the stopslot.
 4. A cover construction as in claim 2 in which the stop slot isbelow the lug and the weight of the cover holds the lug in the stopslot.
 5. A cover construction as in claim 2 wherein the lug is slideableup and down between a locked lowered position in engagement with thestop slot and a raised released position.
 6. A cover construction inaccordance with claim 1 wherein the stop means for each sliding bracketincludes a stop slot in the track associated therewith adjacent the tankend of said track, a lug on the sliding bracket engageable with the stopslot, the bracket removal slot in said track is adjacent but spaced fromthe tank end of said track, and means is provided on said track at thetank end thereof for overlying a portion of the sliding bracket to holdthe sliding bracket on the track when the lug is in engagement with thestop slot.